Malawi have reached their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final in their debut at the continental tournament after a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Algeria.The high-octane semi-final was played at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday.The game was marked by two red cards, one for each side, given about 20 minutes apart in the first half. Algerian full-back Morgane Belkhiter was sent off in the 22nd minute for denying a goal-scoring opportunity to Malawian winger Tabitha Chawinga.The 30-year-old striker, who plays for OL Lyonnes, later opened the scoring in the match with a sensational quasi-bicycle strike off a corner kick in the 34th minute, putting the Scorchers of Malawi ahead 1-0.Malawi doubled their lead in the first minute of stoppage time when Temwa Chawinga received a through ball in the penalty box and swerved around Algerian goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi to score her fifth goal of the tournament, bringing her level with Zambian striker Barbra Banda in the WAFCON Golden Boot race.
Malawi’s first half? Chawinga business. 🇲🇼⚽️⚽️#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2026 pic.twitter.com/VxFw5ZHLh9
— CAF Women Football (@CAFwomen) August 12, 2026Just before halftime, Malawian midfielder Rose Kadzere made a dangerous challenge that earned her a red card, escalated from an initial yellow, in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
